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All right I want you to look at the person next to you left or right or both as
they have Easter. All right very cool it's good to see everybody this morning in
God's house I said to reminisce about Easter I've seen
a few come and go kind of went to church a lot not
a church like ours but church and it just brought back memories I remember the
Easter bunny coming to our house he doesn't come to our house anymore if he had
a way the Easter Bunny would come to our house and leave let us you know say. But
my mother was not like that my mother's theory about life is you know if you have
a hard day here here's some chocolate after the sugar coma is over be
a brand new day and so easy money would come and I'm not going to bash the Easter
Bunny as some Christians do because less than
a minute they'll be chocolate in heaven anybody want to disagree with that I'm on
pizza and chocolate so far I think this talk the trees and having
this walking around it think that's awesome and then I remember one year that the
Easter Bunny didn't do
a basket these are going to come to our house and put stuff in hats and I just I
don't know why not it has nothing to do with what I'm going to teach you this
morning but it came in a sailor's hat now it's
a picture that I just love that sailors had was very vivid in my mind when I said
reminiscing and also I'm
a child of the seventies I remember the I remember the east there was
a vision of me and I'm about this big Me and my dad went the Easter service in our
matching leisure suits and as
a child I don't know if it was the fabric I Things were just cheap we didn't have
a lot of money as
a child and everything was itchy everything it was like made out of crepe paper
sometimes like and so I remember being all hyped up on chocolate and then we were
commanded to go to church to be quiet and I'm vibrate because I am sure going up
in. It wasn't me again it might have been our income dress
shoes for
a child were made of plastic. And they had no treads So you hit the stairs of the
church. And it just became
a whole new thing and I remember just dying to get those babies off and now I'm
it's in and this is how we celebrated Easter this is really my memory is like. It's
got to be more night all the time new fare full well that released there is
a bug Jesus rising from the dead and all I remember is this you would think if
someone rose from the dead it would be more exciting than we give it credit for so
somewhere I think we may have devalued and if you're here this morning and you know
maybe I remember it as
a kid we would go when you come to you had to go on Easter it's special Easter and
then you kind of endured whatever happens at church so we could get home and I love
this if you have
a thought about this I mean you will have him today you're going to have ham to
celebrate the Jewish Messiah is resurrection who came up with that and that's
something I just think we're just whacked from the get go and so I think somewhere
we may have devalued it or at least as
a child and even after I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal and savior at the
round of age of nine I kinda knew about the resurrection and again if someone
really truly raised from the dead I want to know part of my job as
a pastor now is I do funerals and I've never seen it but if I did it would
kind of freak me out. But if Jesus has risen from the dead now we know about his
death and burial and we even celebrated that last night in memory in memorial as we
did the Lord's Supper but Paul in the scripture and I bring your attention to first
Corinthians Chapter fifteen if you have your Bible as if you don't know about is
going to be way up here right now read it see it in first Corinthians Chapter
fifteen Paul the Apostle Now I want you know and has not even been
a hundred years since Jesus has risen from the dead and ascended into heaven and
hasn't been that long and all the sudden Paul finds himself having to deal with
a church that has devalued the resurrection of Jesus Christ and so as we look at
First Corinthians Chapter fifteen I'm going to read verses fourteen and fifteen and
it says this end of Christ has not been raised that all our preaching is useless
and your faith is useless and we Apostles would all be lying about God
but we have said that God raised Christ from the grave but that can't be true if
there's no resurrection from the dead and then let's jump down
a verse seventeen and it says this and of Christ has not been raised then your
faith is useless you notice the reiteration and you are still guilty of your sins
in that case all who have day who have died believing in Christ are lost and are
hoping Christ is only for this life if you are hoping Christ is only for this life
we are more than pitied than anyone in the world Paul as
Paul went to this church and said they seem to kind of devalue and not give it the
credit that it's due actually even denying it if you notice the context so he went
with the the kind of the idea is let's go with that idea and really bring it all
the way out logically and so he did this when I asked Can I have that list of
a list of if you like to take note Easter no big deal. And so let's go through real
quick number one was this Paul points out it's
a waste of time if Jesus has risen from the dead what we do every sermon braised
every prayer prayed every song sung is
a waste of time I want you know I want you to think about this is about the
resurrection of Jesus Christ every church service everything that's ever been done
in Jesus name big waste of time the second thing he points out is as
Christianity goes we don't have
a leg to stand on and Jesus didn't rise from the dead our Christian faith is
a total fabrication it's really
a house of cards and it could just be blown over because there's nothing to it the
third thing he points out and I love this the kind of gives the church
a little jab in
a way Apostles we've been lying to you if Jesus has not risen from the dead
we've been spreading outright lies to our friends and family really just snake oil
salesman Have you heard guys I don't know if you know this you're being
a visitor with us I'm in it for the money that's what I keep hearing in the
in if I'm doing it right I should have at least one jet but you guys just let's
take another offering I mean for the money you go the past
number for if Jesus hadn't risen from the dead he said well then we're still in our
sins there's no rejection of me in that means that there's still something you and
I will have to do to pay for ourselves when we stand before
a holy God If Jesus is not that's pretty heavy and then
a number five he says if Jesus has not risen we are without hope all your loved
ones you know those ones who have died and gone on before that you think are in
a better place guess what no matter fact they're nowhere and
not only are they not in heaven you can't go there either just if Christ has not
risen. Number six he says oh. And we're just
a bunch of idiots anyway because I've heard that you people who believe in Jesus
Christ Pastor you're a fanatic Well
a stinking man all right hey tell you what if some day I do your funeral and all of
a sudden he has
a knock on your casket from the inside and you pop that baby up and get out I'm
going to hang around with you forever c'mon that's impressive what
a man can say and predict his own death burial and resurrection and then pull it
all off I'm with him that's really what it comes down to to maybe empty doom is
just really the whole idea of
a Savior who said listen put your trust in me not only will I get to you to heaven
I will give you
a bunch of life here and now in to prove it and to give it some credibility lookee
have to three days here right here I'm going to trust my life to someone who can
put theirs down and take it back up. I'm in I'm so in it so it's about
credibility is that it can I say when it comes to where
a bunch of idiots brawl ended the thing with where budget is where many of them not
many of them well most of them most of the original disciples died martyr's death
Peter has been it said in tradition and history that Peter was
a crucified upside down you would think if the resurrection of Jesus Christ was
alive Peter would have said as they raise the hammer up to put that first nail and
you would have think he would have said Hey just kidding but you didn't what
brought that kind of change these were the Bible says ignorant and an learned men
who became geniuses because they put their faith in Jesus Christ it's good business
by the way and then this John got to die of old age but boy did they try to kill
him you read that they boiled him in oil that's not like going to the spa.
Probably took up
a couple layers of skin and they finally exiled to Patmos where he writes the book
of Revelation and he will die of natural causes some were run through with swords
some just speared to death some actually put in logs and cut in half and of course
you've heard of the history of feeding Christians to lions because that was
a sport in the day the Paula said of if Jesus isn't risen
one of lace now what you know in the twenty first century I kind of still get this
I've been told even recently the Jesus is for you weak people who need
a crutch to get through life you're doing it wrong you're doing it I promise you
alright and I'll tell you what you know what's more and more common now as I grow
older in the ministry and talk with people about their faith some of you will miss
heaven not because Jesus didn't rise from the dead because he does because you're
smarter than God And that's been the problem all the way back into the Garden of
Eden and that's in chapter three in burst fifteen of the first mention of Jesus
where God says all right now that's your sin is separated us because my holy God
can't be where sin is and where I am their sin in to try to rectify that he needed
a perfect sacrifice and Jesus was that perfect and then he rose from the dead to
show you he can with your life in mind he didn't rise I'm
an idiot. That was pretty good Paul he went with what their argument was
and they thought about it for
a little bit and Paul wanted this church and know that the whole of Christian faith
literally hinges on the resurrection of Jesus Christ
and again do you follow me that if he is really rose from the dead shouldn't mean
more to me than it does if you feel that the Paul was telling this
church you know what the resurrection of Jesus Christ is
a big deal here's what it boils down to I've heard this and I buck the
system I am
a Jesus follower from the top of my head all the way to the stage so if that
bothers you that's
a shame but I hope to convince you otherwise. The resurrection of Jesus Christ you
know what I want another reason that's so important is this no other founder of any
religion on the face of the planet rose from the dead not one no not one so
again I was told this I read it somewhere and it makes perfectly good sense to me
if you have two people and they are giving you advice about life and their contrary
one to the other you have to choose what advice you're going to take
a man now if one of those people rises from the dead I'm going to listen to him was
that hard did I lose anybody I've said again if you want I'm
a trained professional Don't try this at home does that make sense if it does make
sense to ours is a special face with
a special figure at the very center who conquers the grave so first Corinthians
fifteen twenty Paul continues and says But in fact Christ has been
raised from the dead and he is the first in the great harvest of all who have died
we're not here to celebrate my Christian faith we're here to celebrate Christian
facts you realize Christian if you claim to be
a follower of Jesus Christ it's not something I feel inside it's not that little
tingle it's not something I believe it's not something I've made up not something
that makes me feel good on certain holidays and situations we celebrate something
that happened in human history Jesus rose from the dead now
again in the twenty first century we've become smarter than that like we're the
first generation ever say that's not possible if I don't I want to buy
a college pastor that's not possible someone raised from the dead that's why it's
a miracle if it was explainable what may be the greatest
miracle that anybody has ever pulled off. Matter of fact I'll give you this for
free it's been my impression and my research that anybody who was
a critic about Jesus rising from the dead when they start to delve into to prove it
wrong they got saved because they couldn't well let's continue Paul
actually at the beginning of the chapter that we're reading if you want to check it
later he talks about six quick proofs that Jesus rose from the dead I want to give
these to you if I can go ahead that list there it is six proofs of the resurrection
and there's
a in verses five six seven eight of the same chapter first Corinthians fifteen if
you want to look at it he says Jesus appeared and he says first to Peter now I'm
pretty cynical I'm thinking of Peter's his best friend of course Peter's going to
say something nice now again Peter is going to eventually live his life out to be
crucified upside down and he said I want to be crucified upside down because I
don't feel worthy to die the way that my savior died that's going to dedication
we're going to what do you do to
a man to get that kind of dedication and commitment maybe you see him after your
funeral maybe the motivating it can be and then he said and he appeared to the
twelve you know again I'm I'm I'm cynical twelve you mean those those inner group
of guys you know one of the theories is that they all got together and they came up
with Christianity what
a great idea hey we're going to tell everybody you will steal the body the
Scripture who it will steal the body and then will will hide it somewhere and if
you've ever watched Colombo you never hide
a body anyway. Matter how hard you try it was research and they came over this way
will hide the body and then we'll tell everybody he rose from the dead and then
we'll live crazy radical stupid lives in front of the and then we'll let them kill
us they were ignorant and learned what they were and that.
And again these guys would go to their deaths willingly and you know what maybe
would get that kind of commitment from somebody maybe they actually saw the risen
Savior. Number two person number three and then he says I love this one verse six
he appeared to five hundred followers five hundred at the same time he said and
then he says There you go check it out on your own he says in some of them are
alive today if you need references I got addresses and names I mean it's not like
this happened in a galaxy far far away. So that it had been
a couple of decades ago and some of these people are still alive if you were to
talk to them in their living radical lives because they saw Jesus
and then they saw him raise to life five hundred so now we're up to five hundred
twelve people sort of alive how many witnesses do you need before you and your vast
logic and genius how many does it say show you how many five hundred twelve up to
the third point of the number four in verse seven when he says he appears to James
I love this one I believe this if you James in the scripture and I believe this is
James Jesus half brother who writes the book of James this is James who grew up
with Jesus as his older brother now you look like
a bright prat What would your sibling have to do to prove that they were the son of
God So he appears to James who has been doing stealing role as
a little brother but and James come to
a saving knowledge of his own brother as ever proof that's five hundred thirteen
people and then he appears to the apostles was confused me at first because other
disciples in the apostles the same thing but this word Apostles means the sent ones
which it always means but this country first of those seventy that he sent out so
now I'm up to five hundred eighty three people that he appeared to that not enough
and this is my favorite number six in verse eight of First Corinthians fifteen
impulses and he appeared to be in effect First Corinthians fifteen eight says this
last of all as though I had born at the if I was born at the wrong time I also saw
. So you know what laid in the smoking I could tell you time and time again how
I've seen the fingerprints of God in my life and in this in this ministry and that
won't be enough to you until you see him and so I ask you to kind of look for me
because you know it's been my experience people who don't believe what I believe
it's because you're looking for
a reason not to and you have to go out of your way I'm sorry there's over five
hundred people said Sorry I saw him yeah but but it was
I saw him and I'm good
so let's turn that negative list on its head that Paul had to write if Christ had
not been risen he said in fact he has so what if Jesus did rise from the dead let's
go back to that list what are we wasting our time was number one if you remember
well I want you to know this is someone who is
a follower of Christ and proud of it what we do is not only worth it it's the most
important thing we can do I thought I was there is
a journey is long and everybody has
a soul and it's going to end up somewhere and all of
a sudden what I do will be important in
Hebrews ten might affect I mentioned how every sermon ever brief. If Jesus is or
isn't but if he is risen you know what I have to spend some time to put together to
make sure I present the gospel of Jesus Christ right because I don't want to be the
one who makes you miss it it's in your blood to be on my hands and I just can't
have that I hold the greatest story ever told me if I agree with the preaching I
got to be honest with you Preacher old time preacher long time ago said this and I
agree with it for me this that for me to become president would be because what I
do I think is the most Now do you say you know what I'm not you you you have you
have your preference and whatever but some day I really like my job to this someday
will all stand before Jesus and he'll open books and every stupid thing we ever did
every stupid thing we ever said I'm going to get
a big book. Right I've had people there's actually a verse my own father there's
a verse in the Bible says you will give account for every idle word you ever spoke
you know those words you don't need to say but you said anyway my father looked at
that verse in front of me one time he said I don't want to be behind you in line
fair enough every sermon every priest every service we've ever had what a waste is
a waste do you realize we actually gather every Sunday to celebrate the
resurrection Lloyd's is Christ every Sunday just like in the book of Acts because
in fact Jesus has risen matter of fact Hebrews ten twenty four and twenty five says
this let us think of ways to motivate one another to act of the acts of love and
good works and let us not neglect the assembling or the meeting of ourselves
together as some people do but encourage one another especially now that the day of
his returning is drawing near all says we should gather because that's what the
word church means it's a gathering actually it's
a called out assembly if you want the exact and I make fun of that because an
assembly symbols we gather together we worship Jesus Christ on
a regular basis because if Jesus is risen it's
a big deal. The resurrection is important and see how if you devalue it how it
affects other areas and so he says actually to liken this he says to deny what we
do is important is to deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ if you have this
morning and you have
a need that needs to be met today in only Jesus can meet it at the end of the
service we're going to get an opportunity to you know going to get
a better deal this week I'm going to offer you heaven Jesus abundant life joy
unspeakable peace of passes understanding and that's just off the top of my head
and I know you don't want that because it comes with sacrifice that you can't be
boss of Jesus and again I actually had
a lady say that to me to share my faith with the one time this was years ago never
forget it and she looked at me mockingly crossed her arms and said Why don't you
just worship me I said hey cool. I will all you have to do is die in my place
in race three days later and I'm in the in fact cry
it's not as easy as all right well then Paul went on to say we don't have
a leg to stand on but in fact is if Jesus in I believe Jesus is risen from the dead
we have an extraordinary faith
a solid historical defensible space matter of fact for you here of your Been around
here long enough I believe this with all my heart Jesus makes sense I live on the
planet too I know you guys think I live in an envelope we put me in
a box for the rest of the week and I just come out on Sundays and we prop me up and
this is all I do because I'm blinded because I just live spiritually and I just
float around come on used some of you think that while some of you think I just
play golf the press says it's OK It's all right but we don't have
a leg to stand on I beg to differ I'll tell you what I don't know about you and I
think it comes with walking with the Lord read my Bible and being saved I look at
the news and I read media and I see this word These Jesus and it's that simple
it doesn't need more politics God help us
we need Jesus and we need what other religion on the face of the planet I heard
this week once of hits people and extraordinary love
that they don't have the capacity to produce that dangerous Christian
some nations made illegal because we've been commanded to love each other out you
go what does that make sense because we don't want him
because he would be lord and I've got news for you Jesus is Lord he already
is that you might want to line up with that it will save you
a lot this time tested Christianity this faith that we have has withstood two
thousand years of
a time test somewhere along the line some of what MUST would have
said that whole resurrection thing just kidding but they didn't and they just kept
going and they kept dying and they kept pushing ahead and it grew from twelve
people in the first century to over two billion today. Weird Oh that's right
because we're weak people weak to deny the extraordinary
faith that we have in Jesus Christ is to deny the resurrection number three
said Oh we're all liars remember that if Christ had not been risen when we've been
lying to you but then when we share our faith we're offering the opportunity of
a lifetime if in fact Jesus is risen I'm offering you before the hour is up I will
offer you an opportunity to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you do
with it what you want but you know
I don't think I'm lying to you man if I can say this from experience I have seen
too much to deny Jesus Christ I have been quoting it for weeks now for those of you
who've been here but one of Paul the Apostle got older he said this and it just
rings true in my life he says I know whom I have believed many of you here you
claim to know that you know Jesus Christ Lord and Savior and that he lived his life
and watched Jesus work was it without pain no it was just worth it I was like I
have
a life it's worth it promise the greatest or you'll
ever hear and he said I know whom I have believed in you know now I'm persuaded
he's evil and I'm persuaded at this point in life that was the best decision I ever
made so we come we have faith in many of you came believing in the resurrection but
now with that we see sometimes if we deny certain things we're denying that the
resurrection actually happened how we doing Toughbook when we don't read it
everybody has one though I've seen the stats where liars we
share our faith as the opportunity of
a lifetime one person said this the greatest gift you can give another human being
is the introduction to
a God who loves them see I don't know what you've heard God is not mad at you he's
mad about you and he sent Jesus or God so loved the world
he provides transformation increased capacity to love he offers purpose and
guidance for living in
a promise of eternity in heaven. On up in but I know all all
Pastor. You know what's awesome about me I am so old and ugly at this point I am at
a new place of I don't care if you saw my Facebook invite I got up
here and saying which I don't usually do anymore and whether you liked it or not
you shared it and you know what I have been taught and I think it's true I think as
a Christian I need to draw attention to myself so I can draw attention to it and so
yep I'll preach at you make you laugh I'll make you cry make irritated I'll offend
you I won't dance not yet anyway
I'll have to take lessons for that but I'll tell you what I'll sing in the Heaven
other whatever because I really believe what we do matters and I know it has its
foundation is I serve
a risen Savior so oh this one's even
harder so to keep the message to Jesus Christ to ourselves is to deny the
resurrection of Jesus number four he said to them if Jesus is
a risen then we're still in our sins this is
a biggie but I want you know in fact that Jesus Christ is risen and I stand before
you forgiven and I hope you can see this I mean I don't sin are you
serious look at me many you're going to go home and it was. And you're going to
talk over ham and say wow I don't know if we're going back there
in all honesty we've had this. Music. But
you'll go to
a concert and your ears bleed but it's too loud. In that church they laugh because
that's
a reference you know that right there's no laughing in heaven as all the Reverend
boring people go I don't know what the the logic is there I mean some of you clap
somebody raise your hands and you know as real mature Christians we know you
shouldn't do that oh no no not sure why because you know this offends
and I think you know what it does my professional opinion as
a pastor which is stupid because we deny
a lot of stuff that's in the Scripture and if we just surrendered to what it says
we'd be better off. We're still in our sins Well I'm forgiven anybody who's asked
God in except that his atoning death Jesus atoning death on the cross to be applied
to their life has their piles of sin cancelled out Psalm one hundred three and
verse twelve says this he has removed our sand as far as the east is from the West
I want you to see how smart the Bible is if you take
a globe of the earth you live here
a Northern Hemisphere right about here if you accept Jesus Christ as Lord and
Savior all the sin I know some of you Art's are sinless I can see you glowing from
here was so stupid but if you had
a globe of the earth and the Bible is very specific when I accept Jesus Christ as
Lord and Savior he forgives my sin and how much does he forgive my sin as far as
the east is from the West you how do you know how far that is but I never meet if
you have
a globe and he said I forgive your sins as far as the North is from the south you
go from the South Pole and you start going north the venture you have to go south
again you go east just have at it you'll never be going west by accident you
see the significance of there there's other verses as he takes my sins and he
throws them into the deepest part of the sea and some of us go fish and there's
another one I love he takes my sins and he throws it behind his back and it at the
actual the original language actually means he puts it between his shoulder blades
so when I bring up my sins again he does because he can't see them any more my
omniscient God chooses to for I hope you can grasp what he was that is
I serve the holy God he's gracious he's loving he's merciful but don't you miss
that he's also just that he's not going to look away just a womanizer you're
a nice guy compared to be honest ard it's real anybody say Man
they go they know me. Fifty said we are without hope. Second Corinthians
four fourteen says this well we know that God who raised the Lord Jesus will also
raise I defy don't believe the G.'s verse from the dead that's
a lie and we are without hope so to deny that there is hope after death in crisis
to deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ he said you know all those people that
have gone on before your loved ones in your friends and you thought they were
a better place well guess what no non there forget it sitting at the the deathbed
never forget us one of the times I said of the death bed and this guy he did not
want to receive Jesus Christ with everything that he had night I shared my faith
with him and he was open and he was honored that I was there he thought it was
great he just thanked me up one side and down the other Thank you for spending the
time with me he said but I think I'd be
a hypocrite if I made that decision now and then he we had
a conversation and never get this this might be
a conversation I don't know he looked at me and I said he said to me Pastor I
really think that when my eyes close and death there's not
and I said you know what I believe I've put my faith in Jesus Christ who rose from
the dead and that same power that raised him will also be able to raise me up and
some day I will close my eyes and death and then I will open them and I will be in
glory because you know if you can pastor what if you are wrong
I looked at him
a very kindly and I said that I'm you the religious the other day was very
apropos I thought if I'm wrong I've wasted my life Paul said
but if I'm right and you haven't accepted Jesus Christ as personal and Savior you
have thrown away eight or Nitty you may want to consider
I did
a funeral this past week and you know what's great is I didn't know the person now
use it try to not do that I like to I like to do our people. I like to people I
know who I know I lead to Jesus and I know their faith and I know their story and I
know about them so I can say something about them please Baystate members would you
live your life in such
a way that I have something to say in my head when you have to really cram
someone's lived into their eighty's and went down the aisle they like cats Oh my
goodness Surely you did something in an eighty year span we can talk about and this
lady I I sent her her daughters came to my house and they said Would you please to
my mother's funeral because one of them knew me and we were friends from school
from picking up our kids at school and I said sure for you I'll do it I said but
you need to sit here and you need to tell me stories and I'll tell you what they
told me story of the show she was a sergeant in Korea
a lady Lady Sargent I'm already impressed and then talking about how she
dresses she'd like to be the center of attention she was
a big stink and flirt and think and I like this woman.
And I said well she she probably wanted to precipitously I didn't really put it in
the question because if you're going to invite me to do your future I'm going to
preach the Gospel don't be surprised OK And one of the daughters This means the
world to me I knew all these amazing things about their mom now and she said Oh
Jesus was her thing is that hey Jesus is my thing to do
I know what I'm going to say and they got up and they eulogize and they reflected
and then I took the podium and I said guys you have actually made me to the point
where I regret that I never met this woman but you know what I have because I have
a risen Savior what you know
a part of Heaven is not only the districts of gold and there's one big gate one one
big pearl it's not pearly it's pearl one big girl the gate sounds pretty good
there's
a mansion there for me going to Jesus dying to see that and I hope I live next to
you because I'm going to come over and borrow sugar right
but you know what makes heaven heaven Jesus is there but you know what's going to
make heaven Heaven is those people that have gone on before who Jesus was their
thing that's what makes Heaven heaven. Does that make sense Amen All right
so and finally oh wait
a minute if where without hope and there is no hope after death why bother I'm not
sure about other countries but I've done
a little study the death rate in the United States is hovering around one hundred
percent I don't think you'll be the exception
look at that I want you to go home and at least give me credit for that pastor made
us laugh about Dian I want credit for that you're not going to be the exception
one versions of this none of us are getting out of this alive and that's why Jesus
don't don't throw away Number six he said you were just
a bunch of idiots I kind of like this one with the most fortunate and blessed
people on the face of the planet I am
a genius. And I know you know how I know why I'm successful
and I know that because of the resurrection of these guys are you ready for this
you know the story about Noah right he spent one hundred twenty years building
a boat and all his neighbors would come by and say Hey nice to wrap no arm and
they've given crap for
a hundred right around here we say crap if you're visiting with. All these animals
that fill in the are going he says he's got his kids and his boys building this ark
with one hundred twenty years a preacher right this is
a new doesn't. And then there's all these people he invited get on the ice the
judgment of God is coming what an idiot building
a boat in the desert stupid and then it starts to rain
for the first time in history read your Bible God shuts the door but no man can
open it all of
a sudden no is it G.'s so you can admit it now you can wait to heaven
pastors because the rains come in and we will all stand before God some day to give
an account what you can do about it but in my trust in Jesus
you know I'm successful kind of struggle with that because. We've
been working hard here and. You know kind of how do you gauge being successful when
I do I'll tell you how this Aaron OPIC on air Aaron how long
you've been saved eleven years we were at
a different facility of the for location different town frankly she came up very
ethical. And thus she came up to me kind of had her questions for me because she
heard how I am and I answered some of her questions and we went on and I believe it
was a much longer on that afterwards right that she came up to me on
a Sunday morning and I remember that I just love how sentimental was she came up to
me still had that same look on her face she didn't realize I was
a genius yet and she looked at me and said OK I'm ready like brace yourself here
we go and I led her in
a prayer that she accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and I don't know what
you think of me she thinks I'm
a success all because Jesus
has risen from the dead I'm going to ask you to close your eyes and buy your heads
and no one looking around if you think Christians are
a bunch of weeks scared boring stupid people you are denying the resurrection of
Jesus Christ Romans Chapter ten in verses eight says this In fact it says the
message is very close at hand and is on your lips and in your heart but the message
is the very message about faith that we preach if you openly declare the Jesus is
Lord and believe in your heart that God had raised him from the dead you will be
saved for it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God and it
is by openly declaring your face that you're saved against the resurrection of
Jesus Christ is
a big deal about for you know and looking around I told you I promise you I lead
you in
a word of prayer and I'm going to if you're here you want to accept Jesus Christ as
person Lord and Savior today because you know what you probably went through
Reece's and you knew it was about the resurrection of Jesus and you didn't even
hate it and you really are just numb to it remember that but if we truly grass
what Jesus did I think you can be trusted. And again
I know what you've been taught this world doesn't want Satan doesn't want you to
have Jesus now if you want to be in control I have nothing for you
but if you've had enough life you've been kicked around anough
I would only journal word of prayer in it can you make your own decision but in
your heart these are magic words but if you would repeat after me in your heart
something along these lines or Jesus I believe and I know that you died for me
on Calvary to save me from my sins I've known that but today seems
a little bit different this morning I accept your free gift of salvation that
you offer I ask you to forgive my sins and Lord truly
because you're rose again I put my trust on you and from this day forward because
of your sacrifice and you giving your life to me this morning I give my life to you
the prisons now if you keep your eyes closed your head down no one looking around
I'm going to count to three in a second I want you do me
a favor this is really just between you and I no one's looking around I want to go
on the count of three I want to count to three in
a few prayed that prayer with me I want you to raise your hand ready one two and
three you were just raise your hand if you hold that up we have
a couple of people if you hold that up we have a guy who is going to hinge you
a card and I want you to know that today your life has changed and I'm going to
give you a card is
a date and I want you to write that date on it and what that means is this if you
accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior this morning your life is
changed let the Holy Spirit work and what I'd like to do now you can look up at me
everybody and think. This is what we do I change the world with this
craziness because I serve
a risen Savior if you have one of these there's no pressure here I'll be up here
after the song is sung I'll stand at this table I wish you all
a Happy Easter. But if you pray this prayer with me this morning come up either to
that counter back there over here we just want to give you
a Bible we want you to take yourself ation date that you just put on this card I
want you to slot in your new Bible which is God's love letter to you and I so you
can start off your life right right there's no pressure you do what you want I
can't make you save it can't keep you safe but boy I can recommend it so watch this
some people raise their hands Baystate if you're happy with that decision when you
let them know how you feel about that.
Good and saying that.
He loves
a good movie came. To me. Doing
. Then.
All over sudden. A human aware of these afflictions he cleped
will read. Read just how beautiful you are and
how great show of affection for me. Oh.
oh Oh he'll love that so. Oh oh oh he
loves. To eat and loves it so.
Edith journalists me. He loves like young
Durkee's would change and he would be the way to
his awaiting to see.
LOL was
a sudden. I was aware of these afflictions he lived but the old
he just really was yes so beautiful you are
a very very good job of boldly. Go.
Home he loves. He loves it
so cold. Get you that
was was.
Yeah.
Closer. To.
A.
Soul.
Oh you know you. You.
See the big stick.